With the same feel as A Series of Unfortunate Events — but much funnier and more lighthearted — this is the story of twins John and Abigail Templeton who have recently lost their mother. Soon after, they are kidnapped by a rival of their father’s. But since the twins are very bright, the kidnapping doesn’t go all that smoothly.

In Quill, where creative children are sent to their deaths, Alex is delighted to discover that the Death Farm is actually a hidden oasis for children to learn how to do magic and increase their creative abilities. Of course, everyone knows that there is a possibility that someday a battle between Quill and the invisible magic world will erupt and, if it does, the Unwanteds must be ready to defend themselves. It's Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games but perfectly written for a younger audience.

This Newbery-winning title is the story of Salamanca (who goes by Sal because really, who would go by Salamanca?) and her car trip with her grandparents to find her mother who has been gone a year. To pass the time, Sal tells her grandparents the story of her friend Phoebe Winterbottom, whose mother disappeared one summer.

Emmy’s life used to be happy until her parents inherited a huge fortune. Now they spend their lives traveling the world, leaving Emmy at home to attend a new school where she has no friends. That is, until she discovers that the class rat can talk (albeit pretty rudely). Emmy begins to think the world might contain more magic than she could have imagined. Also, on the bottom corner of each page is a little drawing and if you flip through the pages, it acts as a flip book, making a tiny animated sequence.

For every reader who ever loved the story of Cinderella, this retelling is absolutely delightful. Ella deals not only with a cruel stepmother and nasty stepsisters, but also with a curse that requires her to obey any command given to her.

A talking dog, a housecleaning robot and a three-dimensional “data orb” are among the many cool features that kids might enjoy in the future, according to this lighthearted look at 2030. The breezy narrative follows one boy through a typical day, highlighting many interesting aspects of his world. Fanciful cartoon drawings show a lively and appealing world full of new and intriguing activities that correspond neatly to modern equivalents. Schools are now made from plasticized blocks that snap together, for example, while recess features virtual batting practice and a “smart trampoline.” Recreational activities include magnetized hovering skateboards and a virtual-reality “Fanta-trek Center.” Some social changes are briefly noted, such as new career paths and the increase of marriages between different ethnicities. Interaction with the natural world is not mentioned, although many of the new technologies have eco-friendly components and the food is all meatless and delicious.